United Way Index Sees Signs of Progress, Room to Improve for Florida's Working Poor

The numbers of employed Floridians barely able to afford basic living expenses has seen some improvements in Florida, according new data from the United Way. Economic recovery has helped some households struggling to make ends meet, but new data for Florida finds wages still lag behind major increases in housing, childcare, healthcare, and more. And the United Way says the disparity between take-home pay and household costs is increasingly affecting households in minority communities.

Holly Bullard, the director for financial stability initiatives with the United Way for Florida Suncoast, joins the program to discuss the ALICE index, a term describing those who are "Asset Limited and Income Constrained but Employed." She'll explain what the ALICE index found in Florida when it was first published in 2014, and how the picture has changed for housing, childcare, food, healthcare and more across the state.

Spencer Smith, the communications manager from the United Way of Collier County, also joins the program to provide insight into the ALICE index in Southwest Florida.